St. Jude’s Ranch Crossings

This new facility is the result of a $1.3M grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a $2M grant from Clark County received by St. Jude’s Ranch to establish a new Independent Living Program in Las Vegas for young adults ages 18 to 25 years old, who have “aged out” of foster care.  Totaling $3.3M, the award funds both the building of a new facility for the Program as well as two years of operating expenses.  “Residents will receive support to complete high school or earn a GED, job skills to apply for, get and keep a job, medical and mental health services and temporary housing for nine to 12 months to help them get on their feet.  Ultimately the goal is for residents to find permanent housing and become productive wage-earning citizens in our community. It is one of the few programs of its kind in Southern Nevada and we are grateful to HUD and Clark County for making this much-needed program possible.

The facility broke ground in a very successful event on Friday, March 18th at 2:00 PM attended by St. Jude’s Ranch staff and board, community leaders, elected officials and community partners. The community has already demonstrated great enthusiasm and support for this new program, as studies show failure to intervene now with supportive services for this population equates to billions of tax payer dollars spent on social services to assist them later.  “The numbers are overwhelming when this population does not receive services for education, employment and self sufficiency skills”, says Christine Spadafor, Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.  “At the very core of the problem, national statistics show seven out of 10 foster children will be homeless within 18 months after aging out of the foster care system – unless there is an intervention.   And St. Jude’s Ranch Crossing is exactly that intervention for the young adults in Southern Nevada.”

Additional Facts:

  • A recent report estimates the lifetime monetary value of saving a single high-risk youth to be anywhere from $2.6 million to $5.3 million per youth.
  • The average total cost of providing intensive family preservation services ranges from $3,100 to $10,000 per year.
  • Compared to the lifetime cost to society for a high-risk youth, this equates to a 255 to 532 times return on investment (ROI). (Source: Prevent Child Abuse America)

St. Jude’s Ranch Crossings Community Partners include:

  • Workforce Development Board and Workforce Connections
  • The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation
  • Three Square
  • UNLV School of Public Affairs
  • Volunteers in Medicine and
  • Easter Seals
  • Building Hope Nevada
  • Clark County Community Resources Management
  • HUD State Office
  • SNRPC Committee on Homelessness
  • Architect – Lucchesi Galati
  • Commissioner Scow
  • Grant Writers – Cyndy Ortiz-Gustafson, Wendy Waite and Jennifer Ouellette
  • Helen Foley – lobbyist
  • Jennifer Lazovich – lobbyist